Watch & Learn: Ben Affleck’s Breguet Tradition

The Caped Crusader’s complicated timepiece

Written by Rhonda Riche

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice star Henry Cavill may be on the cover of the most recent edition of DuJour, but our money has always been on the Dark Knight in that hypothetical battle if only for the caped crusader’s love of gadgetry.

And though it’s been a while since we’ve done some cinematic watch spotting, we felt it necessary to note Ben Affleck as Bruce Wayne’s scene-stealing Breguet Tradition “Grande Complication” wristwatch. Timepieces as product placement are fairly commonplace, but in this case, the Breguet Tradition plays its role perfectly. Let us tell you why.

Like Batman (and Ben Affleck), the Tradition has a dual nature. Upfront, the timepiece is a pretty boy with all the luxurious finishes that a multi-millionaire like Bruce Wayne would require. Breguet is one of the grand old houses of horology, and this handsome watch offers many examples of that heritage, such as the small off-centered, hand-engraved and engine-turned silvered gold dial with steel Breguet hands showcased under a big, domed sapphire crystal and housed in a 41mm platinum case.

Breguet Tradition “Grande Complication” watch

Flip the watch over and you’ll discover the Tradition checks all the boxes in the complications department. Not only does it have a tourbillon escapement, that Breguet caliber 569 movement is powered by a fusee (a cone shape with a tiny bicycle-style chain wrapped around it) that delivers constant force from the mainspring barrel. This hand-wound machine has a power reserve of 50 hours (and a power reserve display placed economically on the aforementioned barrel drum). And the movement plates that make up the dial are done in gray anthracite coated steel.

We could go even further and add that Breguet’s Tradition collection could be viewed as a metaphor for the whole superhero genre in general. That these blockbuster film franchises need to reinvent themselves every few years to stay alive. And with its mix of cutting-edge materials and heritage horology, the Tradition Grande Complication has become a modern day icon of style and engineering.